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The Rest Is History · September 2, 2026 · 1h 18m

702. Roman Civil War: The Barbarian Invasion (Part 2)

Dominic Sandbrook, Tom Holland

Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook continue their series on the fall of the Roman Republic. They explore first-century BC Rome, the rivalry between Gaius Marius and Lucius Cornelius Sulla, the Social War, and the threat of Germanic tribes along the frontier. The episode frames the northern threat as an existential crisis for Rome and traces how Marius' defensive wars set the stage for Sulla's rise.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Highlights

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Rome in the First Century BC
The episode opens by depicting what the ancient city of Rome was actually like in the first century BC.
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Marius, Sulla, and the Social War
Tom and Dominic trace how the aristocratic Lucius Cornelius Sulla clashed with Gaius Marius in a totemic struggle they term the Social War.
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The Germanic Threat from the North
The episode describes terrifying Germanic tribes amassing on Rome's borders and posing a potentially apocalyptic threat.
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Marius' Defensive Wars
The hosts discuss Marius' wars in defence of the empire against the northern threat.
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The Rise of Sulla
Sulla emerges as Marius' greatest adversary in the episode's account.
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